John happersbergee



(No Model.)

J. HAPPERSBERGER.

ELECTRIC MECHANISM FOR CONTROLLING THE HANDS OP GLOGKS.

No. 273,231. Patented Feb.2'7, 1883.

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WibnfiSSc UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN HAPPERSBERGER, OF CINCINNATI, OHIO, ASSIGNOR TO THE CINCIN- NATIELEOTRIO OLOOK COMPANY.

ELECTRIC MECHANISM FOR CONTROLLING THE HANDS OF CLOCKS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 273,281, dated February27, 1883.

Application filed July 31, 188-2.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, JOHN HAPPERSBERGER, ofthe city of Cincinnati, in the county of Hamilton and State of Ohio,have invented a new and useful Improvement in Electric Mechanism forActuating the Hands of Large UlOChS or of Dial- Plates, oi. which thefollowing is a specification.

My invention relates to that class of clock mechanism having the motivepower for actuating the hands separate and distinct from that whichoperates the timecontrolling mechanism, while the regular andproperapplication of the motive power to the hands is controlled bymeans of an electric current operating through electro-magnets.

The object of my invention is to provide a cheap and effective meanswhereby the movement of the clock-hands of one or more timedials,however large and wherever located, may be readily and accuratelycontrolled by another time-piece of any desirable location, actingthrough the agency of an electric current. I attain these objects by themechanism illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1is a vertical longitudinal section, and Fig. 2 is a plan view, of adevice illustrat ing my invention.

Similar letters refer to similar parts in the different drawings.

A indicates a fume, which supports the clock-work, which in turnoperates to turn the hands of the dial-plate. This frame A may be of anysuitable dimensions and shape in order to support the particular form ofclock-work employed.

The clock-work is operated by any suitable motive power-as, for example,a spring or a weight. Where the hands are heavy a weight is preferred.In the present illustration the motive power consists of a spring, B,coiled around the arbor D,journaled in the sides I) b of the frame-work.The outer end of this spring is attached to the stud a and theinner endto the arbor D. This arbor carries the gear-wheel E concentrictherewith, and also carries the ratchet-wheel F, fixed to and concentrictherewith. The pawl Gr, pivoted at d to the wheel E, engages theratchet-wheel F,

and is pressed down upon the latter by the (No model.)

spring 0 at one end upon the pawl and elsewhere, at points 0 and c fixedto the wheel E. The teeth of the gear-wheel E mesh with the teeth of thepinion H, Fig. 2, fixed upon and concentric with the arbor I, ,journaledin the sides I) I) of the frame. This arbor I carries the gear-wheel J,fixed to and concentric therewith, which in turn engages the pinion K,fixed to and concentric with the arbor L, journaled in the sides I) I).This arbor L carries a gear-wheel, M, fixed concentric with it, and thisgear-wheel M engages the pinion N, fixed to and concentric with thearbor O, and this latter spindle carries the gear-wheel P, fixed to andconcentric with the said arbor O. Spindle 0 also carries a disk, R,fixed to and concentric with it, and provided at its periphery with anotch, for the engagement of the transverse end 9 of the pawl s at eachrevolution of said disk. The gear-wheel P engages a pinion, T, fixed toand concentric with the arbor V, journaled in the sides I) Z) of theframe. The arbor V carries the gear-wheel W, fixed to and concentrictherewith, and this latter gear-wheel engages a piniomX, fixed to andconcentric with the arbor Y journaled in the sides I) b of the frame,and carrying the fly-whecl Z, fixed thereto and adjusted centrallythereon.

The side of gear-wheel W is provided with a stud, h, arranged to engagewith the upwardbent endj of the pawl m. The rear end of the pawl s andthe rear end of the pawl m are each fixed to the shaft a, pivoted ateither end in the sides of the framework. To this shaft a is also fixedthe brass lever 12, carrying at its free end the iron armature 2,arranged in connection with two electro-magnets. Nos. 1 and 2 indicatetheseelectro-magnets securedinany suitable manner and here secured tothe frame A by means of the arm 3 and the bolts 4; at.

The usual wires, 5 and 6, for conducting the electric current to andfrom the magnetic coils (electro-magnets)1 and 2 are present. One ofthese wires-say No. 5-is connected to the battery. The other wire, 6,and a second wire from the battery are so connected to a time mechanism,as that the action of the time mechanism shall operate to unite thecircuit for an instant or short period of time, and then break saidcircuit for a longer and definite ICO avzaesii period of time. Anydesired form and conminute. In this manner the minute-hand on structionof time mechanism to accomplish this purpose may be employed. One formof such mechanism is shown in the Letters Patent of the United StatesNo. 226,401, dated April 13, 1880, for improvement in electric clocks,granted to John Happersberger.

The arbor I is adapted to carry a clock min a tehand, and the usualmechanism for moving the hour-hand (and, when desired, a second-hand) inconnection therewith is to be employed.

The mode in which my invention operates is as follows: Let us premisethat the mechnism has been arranged to move the minutehand or arbor Iforward over one minute-space at each successive movement of said hand.The weight or spring B being wound up and the battery being filled tocreate an electric current, and the time-piece which is to alternatelyclose and break the current being set to close the circuit, say, once ina minute, as soon as said time-piece connects the circuit theelectro-magnets are rendered magnetic and draw up the armature 2,thereby depressing the pawls m and s and disconnecting the end of pawl mfrom the stud or stop it and the end of pawl s from the notch in diskIt. This operation leaves the various train-wheels and the fly-wheel Zfree to revolve in accordance with the power exerted by the weight orspring B. Inasmuch as the circuit is closed only once a minute, thetrain-wheels are arranged as to size and number so that one revolutionof the disk It will cause the arbor I to move so as to carry theminute-hand forward one minute. The train-wheels are now rotated throughthe action of the weight or spring I3 until the minute hand has passedover one minutespaee, as marked on the dial, and by this time the diskIt has made one revolution. In the meantime, and, in fact, immediatelyafter the circuit was closed and the pawl s was disconnected from thedisk It and the pawl m from the stud 71 the circuit is broken, and theelectro-magnets being no longer magnetic the armature has, by its ownweight, (or by the action of a spring, it so desired,) fallen and thrownup the free ends of the pawls s and at until the transverse end gof thepawl 8 comes in contact with the revolving edge of the disk It, in whichposition it remains until the notch fis brought by one revolution of thedisk opposite to the said transverse end 9 of the pawl s, when the endg, still actuated by the weight of the armature, (or by a spring, as thecase may be,) is pushed into the notch f, and at the same time the pawlm is raised, so that its upward-bent end 9' intercepts the stud h, andall movement of the train of wheels thus stopped. As soon as anotherminute has passed, the time-controlling mechanism closes the electriccircuit, and in the manner aforementioned allows the train of wheels torevolve, and the minute-hand on arbor I to record another minute, whenthe pawls will again stop the movement of the train-wheels, in readinessto be again started at the expiration of another the arbor I and itsaccompanying hour-hand, are caused to accurately record the time of daywithout being furnished with the we pensive portions-of a complete clockmechanismas, for instance, the escapement and pendulum, &c.

The particular amount of space passed over at any one continuousmovement by the min ute-hand maybe and is varied according to the desireof the constructer and the particular object for which the time isfurnished. For example, in tower-clocks one-half minute is as much aspace as it would be desirable for the minute-hand to pass over at eachsuccessive movement. The length of space traveled over by theminute-hand may be varied by a change in the size or number orarrangement of wheels employed in the train, and may be varied by achange in the timecontrolling mechanism, so as to cause the time ofopening and closing the circuit to be changed.

By means of my invention the clock-hands of a large number of very largeclock-dials maybe simultaneously,eft'ectively,and cheaply operated byone small clock or equivalent timecontrolling mechanism, constructed toclose and break the electric circuit for the trains of wheelsrespectively operating the hands of said clock-dials.

I do not claim, broadly, the train of wheels above described, nor thedevice for checking and releasing the same by means of the disk It, withits notchf, the wheel 7, with its stud h, and the pawls s and m, theybeing all well known to clock-makers and used ordinarily in the strikingmechanism of clocks; but

hat I do claim as my invention, and desire to secure by [letters Patent,is-

1. In combination with the actuating mechanism ot'a clock-dial, theelectro-magnets l and 2, the armature t, the arm 1), the shaft 12, thepawls s and m, the wheel IV, with its stud It, and the disk It, with itsnotch f, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

2. In combination with the actuating mechanism ot' a cloekdia-l, thespindle 0, with disk 1%., having notch f, the gear-wheel I, the wheelIV, having stud h, the pawl s, the pawl m, the shaft n, the arm 12, thearmature 25, and the electro-magnets l and 2, substantially as and forthe purpose specified.

3. In combination with the actuating mechanism of a clock-dial, areleasing mechanism formed by the spindle U, the pinion N, the disk It,with notch f, the gear-wheel l, the wheel W, with its stud h, the pawls, the pawl m, the shaft n, the arm 1), the armature t, and theelectro-magnets 1 and 2, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

The foregoing specification of my invention signed by me this 26th dayof July, A. b.1882.

JNO. HAPPERSB ERG ER.

Witnesses:

JOHN D. GALLAGHER, JOHN W. KIRK.

